Lost in the Echo
by The95will
Summary: The War against the creatures that live underground, it's a long a difficult one. The Unfeeling monsters that killed millions and the decimated the surface world. A team of soldiers that just do their best given the increasingly hopeless situation. Echo is just like the rest, to face the Horde. With Private Ben Carmine's new team, maybe they could help change the war for the better
1. Chapter 1

**I love Gears of War. That includes almost all the stuff about it. So this story will be a reflection of that. I hope you'll enjoy this ride along with me.**

"There is something out there." A frantic young voice ducked down behind a piece of rubble. Once his back pressed against, the vibration had several peddles roll off from the top

"We know what that means." Another voice responded but sounded raspy.

"Lock and load people, grubs inbound." An affirmative feminine voice called out as she slide a new magazine into her weapon. Several human beings scrambled about in light blue glowing armor. The armor of the COG.

The woman of this little squad was named Lance Corporal Erica Dartmouth. The current leader to the remnants of Echo Squad. With a number of six remaining Gears alongside her. It used to be ten…

The current objective of Echo Squad is to hold off the advance of the enemy to protect a Coalition of Ordered Governments' depot. The place the Echo set up in was a supermarket. There wasn't much that be could used. Just a series of sandbags that were left over from a previous firefight. Which was a commodity onto itself. Echo dug in and constructed a makeshift barricade. The soldiers posted there were ordered to evacuate whatever supplies they could salvage before the enemy could swarm the region. The region being, the city named Illama. Echo squad is currently holed up in a superstore. The place has been picked clean of whatever supplied it offered.

"Are they Maulers?" The same young voice called out as he peaked out of his cover.

"We don't know that and shut up." Another voice called back. This one belonged to another young voice. He ducked down beside the young voice. He pulled the chamber back to bolt out the next round out of his 'Pulse Rifle' (The Gears of War 1 Hammerburst). The walls started to shake.

"Anyone got a grenade?" Dartmouth asked.

"Here." Deep voice responded as he passed her two frag grenades. Red chained balls swung limply as Dartmouth took hold of them. She lowered her head the reached for her back for a Lancer Mark II. Standard issue, has great compensation for fore the fire rate and has a chainsaw bayonet in case things needed to get messy.

"Please don't be a Corpser. Please please please!" The young voice rambled to himself.

"We'll be fine." Another soldier paced past the young one. He was in his late-twenties and has been part of the COG for the second half of his life. Battle tested since the Kryll Storms and many battles since. The dark skinned man with his hair tied back into dreadlocks. The slide out a spent shotgun shell from his 'Gnasher.' A 12-gauge shotgun that is lever action and can fire as fast as the user could allow.

The ground started to quiver then rumble.

"Feel that? Better get ready." This Gear was named Private Jace Stratton.

"Roger that." A Gear named Private Logan Decker prepped his Pendulum-Wars Lancer. A bulky weapon that is the big brother to the Mark II variant and packs one hell of a punch. Also known as the 'Retro Lancer.'

Then like that, two steel reinforced doors blasted down for the enemy to enter the store.

The young voice took a deep breath as he pointed his Lancer at the doorway. Then to Echo's right flank, the tile flooring pressed out of place. The ground shifted apart, then came the blood curling roar.

It was a deep one. The kind that a lifelong smoker cried out as it several creatures crawled out of the exposed hole. Each of them had pale thick skin and didn't cared much about armor. The Locust as the COG like to call them, are humanoid creatures that live underground in the crust of the planet. In the years since they appeared, they've been a non-stop force that wishes nothing more than exterminating the human race. A small red ball flipped through the air and landed at the sandbags Echo laid down several hours earlier.

 _KOO BOORRRRUUUUMMMMM._

"To the side!" Dartmouth ordered. Once she said that, Decker volunteered himself to take aim toward the Emergence Hole. His Retro Lancer laid down a continuous load of bullets. It didn't mean much but several of the creatures toppled over.

Eventually Decker's Retro clicked empty. "Cover me!" Decker shouted as he ducked his head down.

"I got you!" The sixth Gear with the raspy voice named Private First Class Urien Marson shouted.

"Thanks."

The bullets continued to hale around the place as the young voice ducked his head down since his Lancer went empty as well. He looked around and felt something heavy at his back then he fell to the ground. One of the Locust charged through the gunfire and jumped over the sandbags to kick the young Gear down.

From that, the soldier scrambled under the Locust's boot. It was a tall one that didn't have any kind of clothing at its torso. The wrinkled white skin of the beast flexed, as the head looked downward. The jaw of it had clear jagged teeth and with orange eyes. The lips pursed up and a pair of pitchless black holes of a sawed-off shotgun aimed at the Gear's head.

 _REEEVVV VVRRRRMMMM VVVRRMMM!_

Marson stepped out of cover just so he could rev his chainsaw bayonet. The saw blades carved away the thick hide from the left shoulder to the right hip. The severed torso fell to the ground, with blood drenched armor Marson offered a hand to help the young Gear to his feet.

The young Gear heaved for air. The Veteran chuckled then brushed some blood off the shoulder of the young Gear.

"War ain't over yet!" Marson crouched down and placed his back to the sandbags.

"Come and get it" The Gear with the Pulse Rifle shouted. Once he shouted that, his left shoulder sparked several times as he stumbled backward. The bullets coming from the Locust grazed his armor.

A Locust that could named as a Drone had it's chest erupt with blood and bullets. In rapid succession, the left thigh bursted out in blood which caused it to drop and roll on the floor.

"Come on! Make it worth my time!" The Gear shouted out. Bullet casings rained from the Pulse Rifle.

The thing about the Locust is that they're resourceful bastards. As in, they know how to wage war, build weapons, and use creatures of various sizes to fight the inhabitants of Sera. He peeked out of cover as he fired two more bursts from his Pulse Rifle. Another Locust with a head encompassing helmet charged forward but kicked its legs to the ceiling from point blank range.

"You're not so tough!"

"Damn it, Wilson! Get your head down!" Dartmouth waved her arm at the young voice to pull him back. The Pulse rifle obsessed Gear is named was Private Charlie Wilson.

"You got a death wish man!?" The young Gear shouted, his voice cracked at the end as he never been in such a firefight.

"Nope." Wilson nodded as he reached for his back. At his back, was a something called a 'Breechshot,' originally a UIR (Union of Independent Republics) sniper rifle called a 'Markza' but after Emergence Day, The Locust claimed the weapons and heavily modified the Markzas to be a bolt action rifle. The muzzle and barrels were replaced to fire larger caliber bullets. Needless to say, it made for a great weapon in mid to for the Breech. So the Gears took to calling them Breechshots.

"Say cheese!" Wilson smiled as he fired a bullet into the stomach of a Locust drone. The very basic form of infantry of the Locust Horde. It collapsed to the ground and held onto its stomach in an attempt to stop blood loss. Decker snickered to himself as he fired his weapon again to make sure the Drone died on the second bullet as it toppled onto its puddle of blood.

"I'm okay ma'am!" Wilson bolted the spent shell casing.

"BOOM!" A nine foot tall Locust blasted a doorway open. This thing was called a Boomer for obvious reasons. I loves to blow stuff up and remind the COG soldiers about it. These creatures carry large single shot grenade launchers. It could blast apart a human beings the moment it makes contact. Amply named the 'Boomshot'

"To our right!" Marson started to unload his Lancer in the Boomer's direction. The bullets had little effect since the Boomer flinched more in annoyance since it couldn't focus on where to shoot at. The young Gear noticed the effort and did the same. Wilson and Decker provided them cover fire.

Jace stood up as he felt something touch his back.

"Jace come on, we're going around." Dartmouth ordered and Jace nodded. Dartmouth had a fully loaded Lancer as Jace did the same with his Gnasher.

Wilson's Breechshot clicked empty as he capped another Drone. He had another magazine to use and he pulled it out of his back pocket. Since the situation grew dire with every second, he couldn't take his time. He slammed the magazine into his Breechshot but the locking mechanism didn't latch properly.

"What the hell!?" Wilson didn't think much about it as he tried to align the magazine correctly.

"Fire your weapon Wilson!" Marson shouted.

"It's jammed!" Wilson shouted back.

"BOOM!" A ball of red flew through the air and overshot the barricade. Had Marson stood up, he could have taken a full brunt of a Boomshot.

"Oh shit!" The young Gear let himself shout out. He didn't feel proud to let that happen as Echo team ignored him.

"Where's Dartmouth and Jace?" Decker asked as he reloaded his Retro.

"Flanking. Keep up the fire." Marson replied. Finally the Boomer absorbed enough punishment for it to fall over to its back.

"Roger that." Wilson replied as he swapped back to his Pulse Rifle.

The young Gear noticed that there was a long a long continuous glow emanating from the doorway. He squinted his eyes to see another Locust Drone storm out. What separated It appeared to look like any other drone, but it behaved differently. The Hammerburst in its hands fired off dozens of rounds and several grazed Marson's armor.

"Are we going to get any backup?" The young Gear asked. He aimed at the Drone with the odd since eye slit helmet.

"No, we're the only soldiers Command could spare." Decker responded.

Wilson peeked out of cover as fired three controlled bursts as another Drone dropped dead. The one with the helmet, and looked like a cyclops laughed as it moved up. Then like that, four more similar to it came from the doorway.

"Put them down!" Marson adjusted his line of fire.

"Echo, Jace and I are in position, get ready for the counter attack."

"Copy." Decker answered for the squad.

Several aisles down from the barricade, a door was kicked down as Dartmouth and Jace stormed out and immediately killed three of the incoming Cyclopes. Dartmouth tossed both of her grenades.

"Surprise motherfuckers!" Dartmouth laughed as she sawed a Cyclops from the stomach down. The intestines spilled out and in turn forced the Locust to drop to its knees. Dartmouth kicked it back as it bleed out.

"Groundwalkers!" One of the Drones pointed directly at the flank.

"Advance!" Decker order as Echo all popped out from the barricade. The four of them jumped out over cover to apply pressure. A groaned in pain as Decker fired at its midsection. Jace's Gnasher blasted a Drone's torso away from its legs. Jace leaned back as his armor endured several shots of another Hammerburst. Dartmouth noticed it, she aligned her Lancer to take it out.

At the barricade, Decker and Wilson made their way to the other two as Marson and the young Gear provided cover fire. The young Gear flinched as a bullet whizzed past his head. It still freaked him out at something could spill his brains, like a gumball machine.

"We're good!" Decker shouted as they made to Jace and Dartmouth.

Jace fired two more shells as he needed to reload his Gnasher. At his back, was a belt that arranged his shotgun shells for him to easily pull out. "Come on, Echo. We got this!"

Dartmouth charged forward and she used her Lancer as she threw it forward for a Drone to catch. In that moment, Dartmouth drew her Snub Pistol and fired four bullets into the mouth of the Drone. Jace successfully reloaded his Gnasher and continued to put on the fire at the Locust. She nodded to herself. It wasn't bad work to kill so many.

A sharp and bitter pain pierced through her lower back...

Then it all ended. Just by the shape of the pain, it felt like a bayonet. A Drone with a Retro Lancer pierced her armor and lifted her up. She cried in pain as Jace saw her and her blasted the Drone away for it to drop her. The blade snapped and wedged itself deeper into her lower back. Blood seeped out of the armor.

"No." Jace flipped Dartmouth over and dragged her to a safe place of cover. She wasn't tall enough for her head to peep out of cover. Jace turned her on her side and did his best to apply first aid.

In the chaos, Decker and Wilson didn't noticed what happened as they focused on the Locust as that happened behind them. Once it came to time to reload their weapons that was when they got to see the state of their squad leader. Jace opened a hemostat dressing to see if he could hold back the bleeding.

Decker looked like he was about to help but Jace waved him off. "Keep those Grubs off us, I'll call you if I need you!"

"Yeah." Decker looked away he popped out to continue the fire at the Locust.

"Roger." Marson looked that the Gear. "Come on kid." The two of them jumped over a metal counter. A metal rake for candy pushed over to reveal another large Locust. This one was the same thing as a Boomer but used a different weapon. Instead of Boomer, this Locust was named as a 'Grinder.' It had a weapon called a Mulcher in hand, a heavy hand crank weapon. More specifically, a chain gun.

"GRIND!" The thing looked toward Echo squad. The closest target being Marson. There was no room for the Gear to react. The Grinder laughed as it cranked the Mulcher.

"Go!" Marson shouted to Ben.

Dozens of bullets blasted at Marson. He stopped in his tracks and his body started to convulse backward, the bullets severed his left leg for him to fall down. Echo couldn't hear his screams over the Mulcher churning Marson to paste. In five seconds, Marson's head rolled off and stared at a vacant wall, clear of blood or damage.

The Grinder laughed to itself. "WEAK!" The Grinder shouted as it turned to Echo squad. The young Gear was completely cut off from his team when they were just fifteen feet away. When Marson was killed, the Gear took cover at a large pillar. It was wide enough to hide the Gear completely. He panted several breaths to himself as Echo called out to him.

' _I am going to die!_ ' He just survived basic training and sent to his first squad. ' _Some soldier I turned out to be…_ '

The Gear looked out to see Echo squad in trouble. Decker and Wilson took cover behind several wooden crates and it was layered by three more creates but the Grinder started to chip away the cover. Eventually, either Decker or Wilson would be killed at this rate. The Grinder continued its prolonged dark laughter.

There was decision to be made. Let Echo die and hide out, or do something really stupid.

The Gear nodded to himself as he reached for his back. Along with the Standard Lancer, this Gear was also given a long barrel rifle called a 'Longshot.' A weapon that appears to look heavy on appearance but was rather light in comparison to the Markza. It had a single chamber for it fire a large caliber bullet. The Gear loaded the Longshot. In his mind, a single name was engraved on the casing of the bullet, and it was Grinder.

"GRIND!" The Grinder chanted and it continued to crank the Mulcher.

' _This is it!_ ' The Gear shouted to himself as he popped out from the pillar and looked through the scope of the Longshot. He did what his instructors told him not to, which was not to take a breath while firing. The Gear exhaled as he accepted that this might be the last moments of his life. The small blue dot of the scope squared in on the Grinder as it noticed the Gear.

"GRI-!"

 _POP_. The Longshot fired at short range. The bullet flew through the air and one that single shot, it locked itself into the eye of the Grinder. The Grinder stopped laughing, and instead leaned to its right and dropped the Mulcher. A loud _thump_ struck the ground.

The Grinder was dead and so was the rest of the Locust wave. The Gear leaned back to the pillar and continued to heave for air. Thank goodness he wore a helmet, otherwise he could be breathing in dusty air along with the iron smell of blood.

Decker killed another Drone as the screaming Locust seemed to have disappeared. The Emergence Holes that flanked the barricade didn't exist anymore since it collapsed onto itself.

Wilson looked up as he aimed his Pulse Rifle around. It looked like they killed off the Locust that made their assault. He looked away for a moment to see that Decker walked to Jace's side. Erica Dartmouth, had a content expression her. There wasn't anything Jace could do in time. Decker looked to his right to see a broken bloody bayonet. The string of blood of the bayonet stemmed from their leader.

The young Gear walked away from his cover and he looked down at the remains of Marson.

' _No one deserves to die like that._ ' He thought to himself as he stared.

"Hey Ben." Wilson called out to the young Gear. "Nice shot."

"Uh… thanks. I wasn't sure if I was goin' to live after that." Ben replied. Under his helmet. With all of its features of a clear view and air filters. Ben could imagine the smell the blood and bullets.

"Neither did I, champ." Wilson discarded a spent Pulse Rifle clip then he loaded a fresh one. As he did that, he walked to Marson. The corpse of the man he served with for the past 5 months. Wilson grimaced to himself as he kneeled down to the corpse. A blank smile caressed his face as he kneeled down to take the blue COG tags. The name, squad, and identity code were pressed onto those tags. Even in a desperate time of war, the Coalition makes sure every soldier has an identity and a label for comrades to scavenge.

Wilson stood up. "Come on."

Ben and Wilson walked back to the team to see Dartmouth's state. Jace walked away from Erica with her COG tags. The body recovery team plan to sweep this sector in several days. A body bag will come for Erica and Urien, Decker would make sure that will happen. He just needed to submit the tags to a Quartermaster.

The remnants of Echo team was now comprised entirely of Privates. Each of them didn't see the need to point it out.

"Hey Carmine. Thanks for the save." Decker pointed out as they walked to together.

Ben nodded to Decker. Just by the look of the armor, Decker's left shoulder would need to get the shoulder pad replaced along with the chest piece. There wasn't a need to explain what happens to those with weakened armor.

"So what do we do now Echo?" Wilson asked as he took hold of his Breechshot.

"I guess we report back to the depot." Decker replied as he looked away then pressed his left hand to his ear.

"Control, this is Echo 6, we've held off a Locust raid and are requesting an update. Are they done moving the salvage?"

…

"This is Control. We've received word that Sigma Company moved the supplies. Disengage and regroup. They leave in half an hour." A male voice responded to the team.

"Copy that." Decker moved his fingers away. "Sound like a plan?

"Yeah…" Jace replied.

Then like that, Echo team left the store, the barricade and carried the tags of the rest of Echo squad. Ben rubbed the front lenses of his helmet as he glance back. He looked in the direction of the soldier he just met and remember all of their names. Ben sighed to himself as he glanced outside to see Echo walk away from the store. With a Lancer in hand, Ben tightened his fingers at the grip.

"Yo Carmine? You coming or what?" Wilson waved to Ben.

"Coming." Ben nodded as he jogged with his squad mates.

 **Well, I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter to 'Lost in the Echo.' I'm not sure how long this story will take but I hope you'll enjoy the adventure of Echo Squad. Please leave a review of your thoughts. My name is Will and it's a pleasure to meet you.**


	2. Chapter 2

It's been twenty minutes since Echo walked away from the barricade. It was strange. Ben could tell from his gloves and weapon that he stopped shaking but he couldn't feel at ease. He already knew the answer to his own question though. Already, two people he came to know were already KIA in less than a week. Marson and Dartmouth were so friendly. Not like the people back in basic and his instructors.

Ben glanced to his right to see that Wilson had his Breechshot at the ready. As a nervous tick, he flicked the safety on and off for the past five minutes. The grey glove he wore looked somewhat warned down as the finger tips didn't like as grey of the palm but a solid black. There wasn't a clear idea on what that could mean.

The walk was completely unsettling. The silence of it all had the squad on edge.

"Did command do a recon over the area?" Wilson asked to break the ice.

"They did, two months ago." Jace grimaced.

They fell silent again.

As far as Ben could tell, Wilson looked to be in his mid-twenties. He wore the basic COG issued dark brown pants and his upper armor pieces look to have been meant for combat journalists. As in the shoulder weren't as padded but instead replaced with carbon plates to make it lighter but also risk the chance of less protection. Similar in design for the women armor but it didn't matter to the COG even during the Pendulum Wars. If a journalist was brave enough to go out on tours with a platoon, they would be welcomed with open arms. Another thing was that Wilson didn't like to wear a helmet. None of them were in his size for the neck region. It pinched at him constantly so he never wore it.

"Do you think HQ will have some food over the fire?" Wilson joked.

"Doubtful." Decker shook his head. With the constant yammering of a single person, really started to put him on edge. Sure Jace and Ben spoke up when they needed to but that what it was. When they needed to.

"I try to but no one wants to do much of anything anymore." Wilson shrugged. His weapons were at his back as he walked ahead of the squad.

"Right…" Decker yawned. Ben judged that Decker was a man in his early thirties, the upper right side of his ear had an angled scar on it and Ben was still too knew to ask any serious questions. Like other Gears, he also chose not to wear a helmet. The armor he wore didn't look like the standard issue one, since this one rather a faded blue. It must have meant something since Ben wanted to guess that Decker is a Pendulum Wars Veteran, he probably was as young as he was when it reached its end. The sleeves of his armor looked darker and was obviously clothed over several armor pieces. It seemed that Decker preferred to keep his armor under the standard long sleeve shirts. Whether it's a tactic or preference was difficult for Ben to tell. Plus Decker could use a Retro Lancer like a pro.

The squad walked into an alleyway as they grew closer to the supply depot. Jace had his Gnasher still in hand as he placed his back to the wall. He peeked out and there weren't any Locust to greet them.

"Right, we better get a move on." Jace pointed out the obvious. In seeing that the squad was currently leaderless, they couldn't just make any random decision. Wilson was too reckless, Decker is too quiet and Jace was too distraught. Ben was obviously way too young. Being at only 16 and part of the Gears.

Jace's Armor was drastically different from the other Gears. Instead of the exoskeleton design of the heavier ones, Jace wore the aircraft pilot's uniform. As in a layered flak jacket, pants and body armor on top of it. From what Ben could overhear from the veterans, the pilot armor is the easiest form or Armor to clean. Since just meant washing out the blood or bits of the body. Ben remembered that Jace sawed a Drone earlier. None of the blood then wasn't on his armor now.

"Hey Carmine." Decker called out. Ben blinked his eyes several times to return to reality.

"Yeah?"

"Can you scope out area?" Jace asked. "Normally, I'd asked Wilson but he doesn't want to have a scope attached to his Breechshot."

"Don't knock my guns down just because you can't have 'em." Wilson retorted.

"Sure." Ben nodded as he placed his Lancer at his back and drew his Longshot. The depot wasn't just some storehouse that people could walk to, it was an underground hanger. It was a surprise that the Locust hasn't discovered this one yet. Echo team stood at the top of a street at was elevated by several stories from the depot below.

Carmine peeked out of the cover with his trusty Longshot. The scope helped him check the various areas surrounding the depot. Besides the trash and the vacant streets there weren't any Locust as he could tell. There wasn't any kind of safe way to get down to the depot. Other than several alleyways that stem off from the team's left side. Then work their way down.

"No movement. I think we're safe." Carmine looked over his shoulder.

"Never say we're safe rookie." Decker patted Carmine's shoulder.

"Sorry." Carmine lowered his Longshot slightly.

"What are you doing? Keep those eyes up." Wilson spoke up.

"We'll make you into one helluva Gear." Decker chuckled to himself.

"Cut the chatter." Jace said into his Tac-Com.

Decker and Wilson acknowledged that with their silence. Decker leveled his Retro as Wilson backed him up. Decker drifted his weapon to the left as Wilson did the right. As a pair, the two of them moved forward as Jace walked ten feet behind them.

Ben didn't like it. Even when there's bullets, explosions, and the noise of the enemy. At least then, he knew the general idea of what's happening. With silence, he doesn't know that if there is a Locust aiming its gun at him. If a Corpser would break the ground and more would swarm out to kill whoever's nearby. That unbearable silence…

Decker raised his hand and the rest of the squad stopped in their tracks.

Decker and Wilson whispered to each other. Then Wilson glanced back and waved his hand with two fingers in the air. Ben remembered that sign… it uh meant… it meant. That um… Oh yeah! The sign meant possible enemy contact and there are two targets. Ben slowly reached for his back and put his Longshot away, then for his Lancer.

The team continued down the alleyway and they a shuffling noise started to grow louder and louder.

' _Oh herewego._ ' Ben's left hand started to tremble and it stated to mess with his sight of the Lancer.

Decker took cover at the wall and he peeked out with the Retro at the ready.

"Clear, go." Decker whispered. Wilson nodded to that and swapped out his Breechshot for his Pulse rifle.

Jace quickened his steps for him to back up Wilson. The alley they were in split into three directions. The squad in such a narrow passageway and with little cover. That was something Decker, Wilson, and Jace all knew were bad signs. Wilson stopped as Jace patted his back, he looked back to Ben and Decker. He moved his hand to his eyes and pointed to them then formed a palm then did a gentle push. Ben had no idea what that meant.

"Come on rook." Decker whispered.

"What are we doing?" Ben leaned down.

"Splitting up, cover more ground then meet up." Decker talked quickly as possible. Ben nodded his head and did a thumbs up to Jace. It wasn't something Jace expected since he looked up and shook his head.

Ben and Decker moved onward.

"So what do you think we got? Are there friendlies in the area? Or-"

"Rookie! Remember the Golden Rule." Decker snapped.

"R-right." Ben mentally slapped himself in the head. _Take cover or Die_. That is the unspoken rule for any Gear in the battlefield. Ben raised his Lancer down the alley.

There still wasn't anything for the team to see that could have been considered deadly.

Decker didn't grimace or talk down to Ben. That was something completely new to the recruit. Back in Basic, all the other would be soldiers talked down to him. They made him feel insignificant. That he was just something for them to vent their frustrations on. Ben didn't like Basic much, but still though, it made it easier to leave it when people knew how good he was with a rifle. Decker learned that from Dartmouth told him anyway…

Ben nodded mentally to himself as he and Decker walked side by side. Decker walked in front of Ben first and the two made it to another corner of the alley. Decker placed his back against the wall and he crouched down then looked at Ben. Back in Basic, this was something to prepare to aim their rifles down a narrow space to maximize damage potential. Decker stayed on the ground as Ben would be the one standing.

"Go." Decker whispered.

The two of them walked out and aimed completely down the alleyway. Nothing but scraps of trash and rat sprinting off into a hidey hole.

"Clear." Ben sighed. He lowered his Lancer then raised his head to the sky.

"Come in." Wilson spoke into the Tac-Com.

"What is it? Locusts?" Decker asked.

"No. We found some Stranded. A pair of kids. One of them had a Snub pistol which we think they stole from the depot. We've detained them since they told us that they don't have parents or guardians." Wilson spoke with a slow sigh at the end. "One of them is a little girl. We can't just leave them."

"Well we have no officer. Do a vote?" Decker glanced to Ben.

.

.

.

"We're all in agreement." Jace said into the Tac-Com.

"Alright. We got more to feed." Decker joked. Jace scoffed at the comment.

' _He probably didn't get the joke._ ' Ben shrugged.

Then once that ended, an aluminum can nearby tipped over. The sound of it bounced back and forth in the alley. Ben and Decker snapped at attention.

The both of them looked around in all directions. There was something here with them and they didn't make enough noise. Humans can't usually be this quiet. Decker knew that all too well.

"Get that Lancer up Rookie."

' _What's out there?_ ' Ben looked back and noticed that several short shadows flickered in the distance.

"What was that?" Ben took a step back.

"Nothing good." Decker lifted his Retro. "Keep eyes up and check your surroundings."

Then something dashed from a corner to a dumpster. Once the silence was no more, then the sound came. A scream so powerful, it felt like the visors off of Ben's helmet started to vibrate. He didn't know how to explain it. Once that happened, three small hunched back creatures charged forward toward the pair.

"Contact!" Decker shouted into his Tac-Com.

Ben didn't even let himself complain again. All that happened in that alley were the flashes of light from both versions of Lancers. One of those creatures immediately leaned back and growled in a final time. Decker's Retro clicked empty on him before as he killed the other two creatures.

"What's going on!?" Jace shouted.

"We got some kind of monkey dog things!" Ben answered as he continued with his Lancer.

"Wretches." Decker answered.

"Got it, we'll be right there." Wilson responded.

"No! Keep those kids safe!" Decker made the suggestion sound like an order.

"But-"

"Just stay back. We got this!" Decker shouted as he slid a new magazine for his Retro.

Ben's eyes widened like saucers as five more of those monkey dogs crawled out of the various holes and above. Several of them screamed some more and Decker kill several of them before those things could get near. Ben made sure to unleash his Lancer in their general direction. The constant battle with the recoil of his weapon didn't even register in his mind as those hunchback monsters approached them.

' _How many are there!?_ Ben's Lancer went empty on him.

Several of those hunchback things descended from a roof above them.

These things growled at the Gears. Another down the far end, screamed its lungs out as Ben could feel the faint vibrations within his helmet. Plenty of things could be said to about these things as an understatement.

Eventually one of those things jumped up to slash at Decker's upper body. In response, Decker raised his left arm to see if he could use the bayonet of the Retro but mid swing, a wretch lunged at him and bit into his left arm. It was armored of course. Ben could tell from the scratching sound of the claws and teeth that tried to tear through. Ben couldn't help in time since three more of those things charged at them.

"Die freaks!" Ben shouted as he killed one of the creatures.

Decker swung his left arm for the creature to lose some of its grip. The teeth pressed down and Decker could feel the pressure build up at his forearm. He reached for his lower right thigh for a spare bayonet he usually carried with him. From there the Gear brought it back and stabbed the center of the head. The creature went limp on his arm as he pulled it out and shook the creature off his arm.

The distance was now closed. One of the creatures lunged at Carmine.

The right sleeve of his inner uniform twisted slightly which caused Carmine to nearly drop his weapon. It growled at him as the teeth tried to pierce through the sleeve. Carmine felt a slight pinch only grow in size the longer it was at his arm. Like what he learned from basic training, Ben used his left arm to take out his pistol and he pressed it against the wretch's head. The Snub pistol made some new nose holes for the creature. Two more attacked Carmine as he got his Lancer ready.

Decker had a different problem as creature jumped at him and it clawed at his face. It missed his throat completely but he did claw at his right cheek.

"ARGH!" Decker shouted. He fired his Retro to make the wretch get away from him. He knew Ben was to his right so he wasn't aimed at him in any way. Then there was a pinch at his right boot. One of the wretchs tried to go for his tendon. Decker retaliated by shoving his boot into the damn thing's jaw.

"We're coming in!" Wilson shouted into the Tac-Com.

The moment he was finished with that sentence, a burst of light came from down the alleyway. It blasted the wretch Decker kicked. Two more bursts came as Jace sprinted in from the way they came and the Gnasher blew away one more wretch that screamed at Carmine and Decker.

Finally free from being jumped all over. Decker and Carmine walked back some as the other two provided support. More of the wretches scrambled under the bullets. Several tried to run away but Wilson wouldn't allow it. The flashes of light almost became constant and dozens of shell casings rained to the concrete ground.

Then it ended. Seconds after their backup arrived. The Snub pistol just smoked at the barrel as Ben couldn't hear anything over his own breathing. The helmet made that even more noticeable than he thought it would be.

"You guys okay?" Jace loaded several shells into his Gnasher.

"We're fine. Just some scratches is all." Decker tilted his head to reveal the cuts.

"Damsels will love that." Wilson chuckled.

"Yeah fuck you too, jackass." Decker shook his head.

Ben took a deep breath then shook his head. "You good Rookie?" Jace looked around the alley.

"Stellar sir!" Ben shouted back.

"Wonderful." Decker replied. Then his he blinked in realization. "What of the kids?"

"Down the alley." Wilson pointed his thumb to the exit.

"Come on. All the noise could signal another Wretch pack." Jace was the first to walk away.

Ben holstered his Snub pistol as he recalled his time during that entire skirmish… He wasted about half of the five clips for his Snub in the firefight. He knew because no matter much he fired, not enough of those monkey dog things didn't go down… What kind of Gear would allow that to happen? Had it not been for Decker, Ben would have been clawed to death.

"A-a-a-are the-yy gone?" A child's voice stammered.

"Yeah kid." Wilson nodded. "Well we better get a move on."

"Where did you find them?" Decker asked as he looked out onto the street.

"Down the other alley hiding in a dumpster. We thought they were a wretch in waiting." Jace pointed out.

Ben looked down to see two kids. One that was eight and the other looked to be fourteen. The older one as clear a girl and other was too dirty for Ben to tell. He didn't want to ask either. Given the issue. What confused him even more were that how a pair of kids could be alone and for the fact that they're kids in a ruined city…

"Where are you from?" Ben asked.

The younger one was ready to answer but Wilson cut in.

"Let's save the talking when we get back to the settlement."

Ben glanced over his shoulder and didn't object.

The team rallied together and formed a diamond formation. Decker in front, Jace at the left, Wilson on the right, and Ben guarding the flanks. The kids were in the center. Both were holding hands and didn't separate from each other at all. From the firefight, none of Echo took the time to speak and Wilson was the one in charge of keeping the kids under control. Given their age, Ben was rather surprised that how well adapted they were to listening to him. It wouldn't be for another hour before the squad would see the makeshift gate of a Forward Operating Base.

Luckily for them, they made it back in one piece.

"Identify." A Gear called out as Echo came into view.

"Echo Squad." Wilson called out.

"Roger that."

The kids were happy and the younger one started to cry and what Ben assumed the sister hugged the other. All that is left for him to assume is that those two are stranded kids, or ones that escaped from a Stranded Gang, he heard the rumors.

"Welcome home guys." A MP waved at them. His helmet was cracked and

The gates closed behind them and Echo felt relieved as the ones on guard just rolled their eyes at them. The MP that opened the gate walked down.

"The platoon at the depot made it back. You haven't checked in and control was about to assume the worse." He smirked.

"Really? That's new." Wilson shrugged.

"Take it up with them, not me." The MP looked glanced at the kids.

"Stranded?"

"Lost in the city. We couldn't leave them." Decker walked between the MP and the children.

"I can understand that. I'll radio the orphanage ahead of time. A Lance Cpl. Zaron will be waiting there for you."

"Thanks." Jace nodded. "Decker you and Carmine get checked out by the medic. Wilson and I will take the kids."

"Right. See you at the barracks." Decker gently brushed his cuts.

Echo split up in two in the base that was called Aurora. In the name of the district the base was in. Ben looked down as the two kids walked beside Jace. Ben had no idea on how well this could go for them. Ben nodded to himself as he looked over to his right to see Decker already walk away.

"Hey Ben, maybe a nurse will give you a lollipop." Decker did a light laugh.

"I'd rather have a charred rat." Ben realized that he was hungry.

Decker patted Ben's back and the two walked down the pathway. It was a decent day for the rookie of Echo.

 **Well that wraps chapter two. I hope you like this chapter. I don't have much to say but for me to thank you for reading this chapter. Please voice your thoughts in a review and have a wonderful day.**

 **Delta501:** In GoW, it comes down to the combat is what we love about the game. I'm just as excited to write the adventures of Echo Squad. Thank you for reading.

 **Guest:** I will keep it up.


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